Complete ad hoc work items and process instances

Task & case management

Case-by-case, knowledge-driven tasks are a major part of what we do. Gartner is currently predicting that in 2017, 70% of business models will be based on "intentionally unstable processes". These tasks are case-oriented and demand the know-how of the office worker. Pre-defining them is either impossible or very complex. It often requires the collaboration and cooperation of colleagues and partners. To this end, groupware systems are used, such as Microsoft Exchange, Outlook, Lotus Domino, IBM Notes and so on. Document management (including emails) and workflows are not taken into account by these systems and must be managed by the users themselves. This leads to uncoordinated and opaque process instances, non-standardised document versions and a lack of efficiency and compliance.

This is precisely where Doxis4 Task Management comes in. Doxis4 Task Management allows you to plan work items in a process instance as and when necessary, and also enables you to specify deadlines, priorities and assign work items.

Agile control with Doxis4 Task Management

The need for more flexibility and a case-based procedure is extremely important and undisputed when it comes to accepting a workflow system. However, this enhanced flexibility must not be to the detriment of traceability. In today's companies, far too many processes are "managed" by email, with flexibility definitely being a significant driver in this. But this approach means that even very simple questions such as the following can no longer be answered:

Who is currently processing which work item?

Which work items of a process instance must be completed by what deadline?

Which work items are overdue?

How many process instances of which workflow type are currently being processed?

etc.

But with "design by doing" too, with purely ad hoc workflows, traceability must not suffer. We call this "flexibility without losing control".

Work items can be divided into subtasks (structured at any depth), with optional dependencies between the work items – without any knowledge of BPMN2 or other notations.

This allows them to be easily and intuitively selected and controlled either sequentially, in parallel or with any number of dependencies. All work items in a process instance are accessible with their status at a glance. Decisions are logged and are traceable.

From similar process instances to process management

The process instances created and executed in this way can again serve as a basis for using and adapting work items as a template for creating a new process instance. This is how "design by doing" works, smoothing the way in order to derive a generalised process model from these findings.

The next step to process management, using a model with which work items can be automated, is then no longer so far away. With Doxis4, this step can be seamlessly executed from a technical perspective, with the interaction of Doxis4 Task Management with Doxis4 Process Management

Only a BPM software package offering a structured, case-oriented and flexible modus operandi can model the complexity of processes in practice. The new Doxis4 Task Management fulfils both of these demands: Flexibility and control – "flexibility without losing control".

Best Practice

Features & strengths

Doxis4 Task Management allows you to plan work items in a process instance as and when necessary, and thereby also specifying deadlines, priorities and assigning work items. Work items can be divided into subtasks (structured at any depth), with optional dependencies between the work items – without any knowledge of BPMN2 or other notations. This allows them to be easily and intuitively defined and controlled either sequentially, in parallel or with any number of dependencies, such as in a Gantt chart. The process instances created and executed in this way can again serve as a basis for using and adapting work items from existing process instances as a template for creating a new process instance. Each process instance therefore has its own de facto process model, even if it only consists of a division of work items. That's how "design by doing" works.

One prerequisite for the acceptance and efficient application of ad hoc planned or pre-defined processes is also good usability. One of the basic principles applied while developing the Doxis BPM system was to offer the end user a graphical user interface which is simple to use and oriented to familiar environments, such as Microsoft Outlook.

Like a kind of electronic circular, the workbaskets in Doxis4 receive process instances and work items to be completed, with their current status and other important meta information. Pre-defined "filters" not only provide quick access to open, completed or planned work items, for example, but also show how many there are in advance. There are personal workbaskets and group workbaskets. Process instances can be sent on an ad hoc basis between different workbaskets – even automatically, e.g. for the option to assign deputies. The suspension function and active email notifications help to ensure that no work item is overlooked or forgotten.

A key advantage of Doxis4 BPM is the reusability of process know-how. If process instances planned on an ad hoc basis with Doxis4 Task Management are repeated, they can be quickly and simply defined as defaults or used for similar process instances with "copy and paste". Process know-how is reproducible – for colleagues too.

Flexibility and a case-based procedure are decisive factors for the acceptance of a workflow system. However, this increased flexibility must not come at the cost of process traceability. Doxis4 BPM documents all activities, notices and information access processes and provides answers to the question "Where is this work item and who's working on it?". This guarantees not only traceability of work items and processes, but also the observance of compliance standards at all times. Email, which is often used as a makeshift form of work item management, inevitably leads to uncoordinated and opaque process instances, inconsistent document versions and a lack of efficiency and compliance.

Doxis4 BPM delivers normative and adaptive BPM in one software package, so you won't have to sacrifice one for the other. Our common technological platform even allows you to combine both procedures in one process. Wherever particular parts of a process model cannot or should not be pre-defined, they can be created on an ad hoc basis. For example, when creating a complex technical offer, various work items with various experts may be required over and over, which are dependent on the specific offer in question. These parts remain flexible. However, for the purpose of formal and legal auditing and releasing the offer, a fixed, pre-defined process must always be worked through.

Doxis4 is the ECM platform used across the entire Westfalen Group. Over the past 15 years, the SER system has consistently been expanded, with the result that nearly all of Westfalen's departments and corporate divisions now work with Doxis4.

Fully integrated in the Doxis4 ECM platform

Until now, ECM and BPM were only available as separate software systems that required complex work to be carried out to integrate them into an application, middleware or portal layer. The new Doxis4 BPM realises the vision of being able to manage all information objects and services in an ECM & BPM context in a standardised and service-oriented platform (SOA) with a common "metadata kernel". The Doxis4 platform is the basis for the content repository with electronic archiving, DMS, records management, collaboration and the new Task and Process Management systems. All solutions can either be combined with one another or be used individually and independently. This means you don't have to make the choice between either the ECM or BPM systems.

What it has to offer

Standard usage of services such as automated activities and notifications

Comprehensive user and access rights administration

The perfect symbiosis! ECM and BPM – on one platform

How can you integrate your data and documents more efficiently into your business processes AND react flexibly to changes – using only one solution? Our new video gives you the answers! Learn how Doxis4 brings together information and processes onto one platform!

Overview of task management with Doxis4

Ad hoc process instances and work items

Plan work items in a process instance on an ad hoc basis

Set deadlines, priorities and assign work items

Divide work items into subtasks (structured at any depth)

Specify optional dependencies between work items (sequential, parallel or with any number of dependencies)

Search for work items, their deadlines and who's working on them

View all work items and their status in the process instance

Define and document ad hoc decisions for work items

Overview and traceability of all work items delivered every time

Integrated ECM and BPM

"Content-driven BPM" or "process-driven ECM" available

Documents and process instances as information objects

Standard search function for documents, records, work items and process instances with the Doxis4 search service

Enterprise Content Managementfrom Europe's market leader*

Capturing, electronic archiving, DMS, electronic records, collaboration, workflow and business process management, combined in a single software technology? Does that exist? Yes of course, with the Doxis4 iECM Suite - with certified audit-proof archiving and revision-safe documentation. Not to forget: integration in Microsoft, SAP & Co. Media discontinuity, disconnected information silos and paper filing are things of the past. The paperless office is coming soon!

* Based on the latest available data, SER is Europe's number one independent vendor for ECM software in terms of turnover, gross profit, operating profit and number of employees.